St. Paul daily globe., 1887-12-06
THE MURRAY CASE.
Something Of Hitch in the Trial
Of Mary Sylvester's Alleged As
SaiIant.

Something of Il Hitch in the Trial
Of Mary Sylvester's Alleged As
saiIant.
BUFFALO, Dec. j.-There was a gal
aXy of legal talent on the Minneapolis
Il Pacific train from Minneapolis this
morning 10 attend court at Buffalo.
Judge Hicks. of Minneapolis, preSides.
The principal case is that of Lewis
Murray, the alleged assailant of Mary
Sylvester. whose supposed crime caused
such sensation in Minneapolis last
summer Murray was q passenger on
the train ana he looked bright and
cheerful i'll his new suit of clothes and
clean linen. Murray claims TO he conf
dent of acquittal. but he is not prepared
for trial. lie has SubpUnacd no wit
nesSeS. The general opinion is, that it
viii 90 worse with Murray with a coun-
try jury than if he had consented to be
tried ny city jury i'm Minneapolis.
Mary Sylvester WdS not on the train to-
day. hut the other witnesses against
Murray were.
When court convened in the bright,
chccry court room it was evident that
Lewis Murray'S ease would not be called
Ycry quickly because of the business in
ridCnt to the opening of court. Indeed,
it looked possible that il might not be
tried at all al this term. and Murray is
practically without an attorney. About
two weeks ago Mr. Ryan, of st. Paul,
the partner OF ". w. Erwin. withdrew
from the ease because Murray could not
pay him. The court of Iiennepin county
appointed Frank W. Nye to defend
Murray. Nye refused, and Eugene
Hay was appointed. lie refused. Then.
l,n 1aar1,fnor that IInlI
would attend court at Buffalo, he
was appointed. I'm the meantime Muir
ray had retained Mr.. MeTrick, but he
refused to go to Buffalo. Hull was in
formed Friday night that he would have
to defend Murray on the charge of
attempted rape. Mr.. Hall said this
morning that he would do nothing eX-
cept To present these facts 10 the court
and ask continuance, and also a
change of venue back 10 Hennepin
county. Murray has an excellent de
Tense. in the opinion of the attorneys;
but he has not witness on his side.
He says he will prove that Mary SylveS-
ter was in his office with him all day
and asked him to 20 out with her and
that she
WANTED HIM TO MARRY HER.
He says further that he can prove
that she saw him register as John
Smith and wife" at the hotel, and tnat
she knew perfectly well for what pur-
pose they went TO the room. His de-
fense viii be that she refused TO consent
To his requests because he would not
promise TO marry her. After entreat-
ing her while he turned over and
went TO sleep. She went over to the
window and sat down. There she fell
into a dOZe and fell out of the window.
That is the defense that Lewis Murray
will present. The court this afternoon
listened to the argument for continual
ton. In Murray'S affidavit he says Lot
tie Cardiff is an important witness in his
ease and that he could not find her. She
was the woman who occupied apart
mentS next To those in which the OffenSe
was committed. He also wants Mr..
Jones. who is reporter, by whom he
says he can prove that Mary Sylvester
said that she was as much to blame as
Murray, and that she did not want Muir
ray indicted. l.. X. Hull, Murray'S
counsel, made an affidavit that when he
was appointed Friday afternoon lie went
90 Murray, who said that he had en-
ployed counsel. 1t was not until
Saturday afternoon that he was informed
that Murray'S counsel had withdrawn
and that he must defend him. County
Attorney Davis opposed the request for
a continuance on the ground that Muir
ray had not used necessary diligence.
He had eight weeks since the change
of venue was granted to prepare for
trial. Mr.. Davis had informed Murray
OF the necessity of getting counsel when
it was known that Mr.. Ryan had with
drawn from the case. He said in the
presence of the court that he did not
care for lawyer: he could tell his story
in five minutes. Murray then insisted
upon makinga a statement in his own be-
half. and the court consented to hear
him if the counsel did not object. But
the counsel did object. The court gave
him little advice about consulting his
counsel.
But | would rather make the state
ment and take the consequences"
Then ! shall withdraw" announced
Mr. Hull.
Murray then consulted with his cOun-
sci and they permitted him TO make a
statement. He made an excellent one.
the effect of which was that he had en-
gagged several attorneys. on whom he
relied. but they went back on him be-
cause he lacked money. He claimed
that it was not his fault at all bat the
fault of these attorneys. The court
denied the motion FOR continuance. but
consented TO postpone the case until
after the Minneapolis train arrives to-
morrow to enable the defense 10 get
witnesses.
Stanton Post EyocfiOn